Chapter 86
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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Dear, I believe you may be misunderstanding.
Episode 86
"I apologize for the sudden intrusion. His Majesty wished to see you before the ceremony."
"Not at all, Your Grace. It is the King's command, after all."
The Royal Palace had summoned me. Since it was the King's call, I left the Estate without delay.
'His Majesty... At that time, I was too preoccupied to observe him properly. Now that I think about it, he said they were childhood friends, didn't he?'
His Majesty and Your Grace.
I couldn't quite imagine what they must have been like during their school days together.
What could it have been like?
Did they joke around and laugh and chatter?
Did they laugh loudly like mischievous children?
Lucas Black, laughing loudly for all the world to hear.
I was curious.
"...I really do miss you."
"Grace, what did you just say...?"
"Pardon? What did I say?"
Startled, I quickly covered my mouth and widened my eyes.
Had my inner thoughts really escaped my lips?
Lucas grinned and added smoothly.
"Yes. You just said you missed me."
...That seems subtly different by one word, Your Grace?
"It wasn't 'I used to miss,' but 'I do miss'... didn't you say that?"
"I'm not sure. That's what my ears heard. And I have missed you, Grace."
"No, that's really not what I meant..."
'Oh dear, he's misunderstood again, hasn't he...?'
His expression shifted subtly.
His ordinarily sharp eyes seemed to soften somehow, and his nostrils couldn't hide his excitement.
If I left it at that, he would surely say something like 'So you do care for me greatly' or 'Just when did you start caring for me so much?'
I quickly added.
"I meant I missed the Royal Palace!"
"...Yes, I see. I understand. The Royal Palace, of course."
His amused expression said it all.
He knew perfectly well I was embarrassed.
'No, no, no... That's not it at all, truly.'
I sank into my seat, feeling utterly defeated.
Lucas turned his head slightly, still grinning.
His face made it clear he wasn't listening to anything I said.
I gave up and closed the carriage door. The carriage carrying us both departed smoothly.
"Has anyone been troubling you lately?"
Lucas, having finally composed his expression, asked in an even tone.
I swallowed the words I wanted to say and answered instead.
"No, there's nothing. It's so quiet it's almost frightening."
"That's fortunate. Still, if anyone bothers you, tell me, Grace. Don't hesitate."
"...If I speak up, I fear something terrible might happen to them."
"Something terrible?"
"Something terrible for the other person."
Lucas Black chuckled softly at my response.
His low, resonant laughter filled the narrow carriage.
"Well, I can't very well let them live then."
"...Pardon?"
Lucas Black gently caressed my eyelids as my eyes widened in surprise, speaking in a soothing tone.
"I'm joking. I don't kill so easily."
The way he said he didn't kill "so easily" sounded as though he did kill, just not in a simple manner.
I shook my head briefly to dispel the dark thoughts.
An awkward silence lingered for a moment.
Lucas Black stared at me intently.
He paid no attention to the world beyond the window, his gaze fixed only on me.
Uncomfortable under that burning stare, I opened the book I'd brought and pretended to read.
"The Sincerity of Marital Bonds?"
He murmured the title of the book I was reading.
I quickly explained the contents.
"The author emphasizes most strongly that marriage is itself a form of human relationship. All relationships must be founded on truth, and when truth is the foundation, one must believe faithfully in the other. He provides several examples of the remarkable power that trust brings. The prose is refined, so it's quite engaging to read."
Lucas Black gazed at me endlessly as I explained earnestly, my face flushed pink.
I didn't even notice that my expression had softened and I was smiling continuously.
In truth, I barely heard what he was saying.
My eyes caught only on his expression, the light in his eyes, the movement of his lips.
The fragrance that filled the narrow carriage drew me into a distant, dreamlike world.
"...which is why we must gaze into each other's eyes while we speak.... Your Excellency? Your Excellency, are you listening?"
"Ah.... Yes, I was listening. Indeed. It's important. Marital relationships.... I often contemplate the subject deeply myself. I study it, and I'm reading many books on it as well."
"My goodness, truly?"
He was reading books about marital relationships!
I felt oddly moved.
Sharing the same interests as one's companion was a joyful thing.
"What book is it? If it's useful, would you recommend it to me as well?"
"I can recommend it..., but it's more useful for me than for you, Grace."
"Is that so? I'm really curious what it is! What book is it, Your Excellency?"
He laughed pleasantly at my question.
"It may be somewhat different from what you're imagining."
'What does he mean by that?'
I looked at Lucas Black with a puzzled expression.
He traced her flushed cheek with the tip of his finger.
"It's a book that describes various methods to please one's wife."
His fingertip moved subtly, pressing firmly against Grace Oellin's round earlobe before caressing it gently.
Grace Oellin tried to ignore the sensation of his touch and focused on the conversation.
"I see... Is it something like the virtues of a husband?"
"Well, you could say that."
"Wow, I'm truly delighted as someone who will become a wife."
"I'm making an effort to delight you even more. There are quite a lot of related books, it seems."
"Related books?"
"How to become a beloved husband, a beginner's bedroom guide, techniques and eloquence for bringing joy, and so forth."
...The titles felt somewhat different from what she had imagined.
They didn't seem to be about marital conduct, trust, virtue, or shared aspirations.
But what did it matter?
In any case, they were certainly about ways for spouses to love each other more deeply, so they seemed like worthwhile books.
"I intend to read through all of them before the wedding. The last book is quite intriguing as well."
"What's the last book?"
"152 positions to try with one's wife—that's the last one. I plan to read that one repeatedly."
She had just heard an unfamiliar word that quickly disappeared.
'Positions? Did he say positions?'
It sounded like something she'd heard before, yet it felt strangely foreign.
"Did you just say positions? What does that mean? Postures... Is that what you're referring to?"
Lucas Black laughed.
His nose crinkled as he smiled playfully and somewhat impishly.
"Exactly. Postures. That's precisely it."
"I see—how fascinating, Your Excellency. 152 different postures... I wonder what on earth they could be used for?"
To her innocent question, Lucas Black offered no further reply.
He simply gazed at her thoughtful face with joy and tenderness.
* * *
I stood before the grand, ornate door, my face tense with anticipation.
Though I had visited the Royal Palace several times before, this was my first time entering the King's Bedroom.
Gulp.
A firm hand touched my back as I swallowed hard and took a deep breath.
"Don't be frightened. His Majesty won't devour you. Though that's unlikely... well, if worse comes to worst, I'll just kick the door down and charge in."
He spoke with casual ease.
The guards standing before the door flinched in surprise, glancing sideways at Lucas Black.
I turned to him with a startled expression and jabbed his ribs.
He grinned widely.
Only then did I realize it was a jest.
Though, I realized, it wasn't entirely unconvincing.
That man seemed perfectly capable of kicking down even the King's Bedroom door if he took a notion to do so.
With that thought, my tension eased somewhat.
Though he was rather reckless, he was more reassuring than I'd expected.
I took a short, steadying breath and nodded to the guards.
They announced my entrance.
I slowly opened the door to the King's Bedroom and stepped inside.
The King's Bedroom was flooded with sunlight, brilliantly bright.
Flowers and books placed by someone could be seen here and there.
In the center stood an enormous bed.
It was a bed with oak-patterned posts draped with curtains of luxurious crimson cloth embroidered with golden thread.
The King lay within.
"Forgive me. My health being what it is, I must receive you while lying down."
The King, reclining at an angle on the bed, offered me a gentle smile as I entered.
There are people whose very smile radiates dignity, and he was precisely such a person.
There are people whose every gesture exudes elegance, and he was our King.
"This humble servant pays respects to Your Majesty. I am Grace Oellin."
"I thank you for coming at once, despite such sudden summons."
"Not at all. Who would dare refuse the King's call?"
I offered a proper greeting and stood quietly in place.
"The distance is too great for conversation. Come closer."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
A chair was positioned directly beside the King's bed.
Ludwig gestured toward it with his eyes, and I sat down beside him as commanded.
"Is this the third time?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"When I first saw you, I never imagined you would become a match for that fellow Lucas Black... The feeling is quite extraordinary."
The King chuckled softly, gazing at the black horse banner hanging on the wall.
One side of the King's Bedroom was decorated with the banners of the Major Houses of Zeronieum. Banners slightly larger than a palm adorned the wall in harmonious arrangement.
Seven sentences hung in the most prominent place among them all.
The young king, who had been gazing at them with vacant eyes, turned to Grace Oellin and smiled.
"Your wedding is the day after tomorrow. I'm managing my condition for that occasion."
"I am always praying for Your Majesty's health and peace of mind."
"Ha. That seems to have already slipped from my grasp. Still, one day of rest and the next day is manageable. One day I'm full of laughter, the next I'm sorrowful, and then another day my mind grows restless. Such is the pattern."
The king's smile seemed fragile, as though it might crumble at any moment.
The king's illness was incurable, they said.
If some part of the body were damaged, the Temple could do something about it, but his illness moved through the blood itself.
It was an incurable disease with no cause and no cure—one where the blood slowly ceased its flow, where crimson blood turned black, and death came.
The diagnosis had come only two years ago, yet the illness consumed the king rapidly.
The king kept the fact strictly secret, but whispers about his deteriorating condition leaked out nonetheless.
"In truth, I never imagined I would be the first to die, yet here I am. It's bewildering, and utterly absurd."
He spoke with bitterness.
Yet his eyes remained steady, as though he had already made peace with much.
"Is there something you desire? Was there anything you yearned for most earnestly in life?"
Ludwig suddenly asked. Grace Oellin did not answer, only bowing her head.
He turned his gaze from her to the golden eagle crest hanging highest among the forty-two banners.
"I wanted to be a bird. I desperately wished to become an eagle. To fly as far and as high as I possibly could."
Why was he telling her this?
Not his friend, not his loyal subject, not his brother—but Grace Oellin.
"I became the king of this nation and sit in the highest place, yet it is far too heavy a seat. What lightened my burden was my sister and my dear friend."
He spoke of Fresia, his most faithful advisor, and Lucas Black, his steadfast companion.
"You can see for yourself that I have little time left. So forgive this weak king for showing such frailty."
"Your Majesty...."
Ludwig spoke with a smile.
"Keep this between us, I ask of you."
"...I shall gladly comply."
"Good. Then I shall trust you and speak freely."
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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